Over the past 18 months the Kansas Emergency Rental Assistance (KERA) program has provided more than 70,000 Kansans and 10,000 housing and service providers more than $250 million in rental and utility assistance, preventing thousands of evictions and providing vital services to more than 30,000 families at risk of losing their homes. A year and a half after the temporary pandemic relief initiative launched, the program has received enough applications to exhaust all current funds and has now entered the Hold Phase.
Any applications or recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.
The closure process follows three phases:
- Final Funding Phase: On Oct. 7, 2022, households were encouraged to apply or reapply for final assistance as soon as possible. The program has now received enough applications to exhaust all current funds, ending Final Funding phase. Applications submitted during Final Funding phase will still be reviewed and processed, subject to availability of funds.
- Hold Phase: Now that the program has received enough applications to fully expend all KERA funds, applications and recertifications submitted during Hold Phase will be placed on hold status and will not be reviewed or processed unless sufficient program funds are available.
- Closure Phase: When all program funds are exhausted the program will close and will stop accepting new applications.
The KERA program is now in Hold Phase. The length and dates of each phase will be subject to a variety of factors, including application volume and amount of assistance requested. Each program closure phase will be announced on the KERA web page.
We realize that the closing of the KERA program may bring stress and uncertainty, as well as more questions for applicants. For a list of additional housing resources and answers to further questions, please refer to our KERA closure FAQs.
Questions? Call 785-251-8043 or email KERA@kshousingcorp.org.
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The KERA program is administered by Kansas Housing Resources Corporation (KHRC), a self-supporting, nonprofit, public corporation committed to helping Kansans access the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve. KHRC serves as the state’s housing finance agency, administering essential housing and community programs to serve Kansans.
